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Nathalie Martinek PhD's avatar

Intervening to prevent full embodied radicalisation to get someone out of a far-right cult sounds similar to helping someone escape an abusive relationship and keeping them safe until they're out of danger.

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Spider Webbs's avatar

This was super unsatisfying. The way she describes “radicalization” is the exact process anyone goes through when changing their mind about a political position, changing political parties, or leaving or joining a religion.

My family believes I was radicalized simply for pointing out that Biden authored the Crime Bill - and the FIRST Step Act passed under Trump released thousands of Black nonviolent first offenders from serving life sentences because of the Crime Bill. I think they were radicalized.

I’ve seen dozens and dozens of Black and Latino people targeted for violence for being “white supremacists” since 2016 - such that I no longer believe it’s a threat. The boy has cried wolf too many times.

The only true white nationalist who made himself known was Richard Spencer - and he voted for Trump believing the strong border would lead to a whiter America. He was greatly disappointed to find that controlled borders increase legal immigration of Mexicans and South Americans and endorsed Biden in the 2020 election.

The only neo-Nazis I’m aware of only have power in prison and in trailer parks.

So a description of changing one’s mind along with “omg it can happen to your family!” together with the opening statement that we can’t define extremism … I dunno what we were supposed to get from this.

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David Josef Volodzko's avatar

I think to a large extent it actually is the same process, but some people take it further, often for a variety of personal trigger factors such as losing one's job or getting dumped.

As for white supremacists, I do think the threat is possibly overblown in the imagination of people who hear Jussie Smollett-type stories. But that is not to say that extremist groups are not a serious threat.

"The only true white nationalist who made himself known was Richard Spencer."

Jared Taylor is also very, very well-known. Plus Louis Beam, Rocky Suhayda, Brandon Russell, and others.

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dd's avatar

Finally got around to reading this. Sorry, but this could have been yawn interview on NPR, Ezra Klein, and so and so on.

Did BLM really do that much to help marginalized Black people? I am not talking about Black elites or middle class........Thank you for the interview, but it was for me, confirmation of cliches.

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JD Free's avatar

What a fantastically deluded person.

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G M's avatar

This is very biased.

Here, apparently 'hate' is defined only when a white discriminates against a non-white but the reverse is not true.

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David Josef Volodzko's avatar

No, she is an expert in far-right extremism. What you are saying is like listening to an expert in communism and saying, "How biased. Apparently this person doesn't think Nazis are extreme."

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JD Free's avatar

This isn't expertise. It's word salad.

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